Round-the-Clock Purple and Gold

Josh Powell, Media Day talk

September 29, 2008 | 7:08
pm

After Ronny Turiaf signed an offer sheet from the Golden State Warriors that went unmatched, his role of "backup big man/energy provider" needed replacement. Cue Josh Powell, a young journeyman now playing for his fifth team in as many seasons. In 2007-2008 with the Clippers, the power foward grabbed a fairly impressive tally of boards in just under 20 minutes, perhaps a sign that he can provide a spark similar to Ronny's. The M.O. certainly seems appears in line with what Powell feels he brings to the table. "Just excitement. That good energy. Good team guy. A guy to pick everyone up and keep everyone going."

Powell also confirmed my hope that he's put on weight from last season, which could make a legit option as a backup center (or, if nothing else, a more suitable option, since Powell noted that gig is already listed on his resume). In any event, Powell is happy about his new situation and came up blank when I asked if he could ever recall being on a team with more of a realistic title chance. "Not that I can think of," smiled Powell. "When I was with Dallas (in 2006), we obviously had a chance to win it that year, but we fell a little short. Hopefully, this time around, we'll hopefully be able to win it all." Here's what he had to say.